NBA Rumors: Lakers aren't alone in LeBron hunt, CP3-Clippers reunion, UConn star earns No. 1 pick buzz

The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks are both one win away from the NBA Finals. After a competitive second round that featured two seven-game series, the conference finals could end in two sweeps.

It's a bit atypical, if not all that surprising. The Pacers are beat up and the Celtics are historically good. The Mavs, meanwhile, have simply punched Minnesota in the mouth. It's a bad matchup for the Wolves and Chris Finch hasn't been able to cook up a proper response.

With each passing round of the playoffs, the pool of remaining teams gets smaller. That means the offseason is about to arrive for two more franchises. As the new collective bargaining agreement takes effect, front offices around the league will be reshuffling the deck and making difficult financial decisions. Oh, and the NBA Draft is exactly one month away.

Expect a lot of movement this summer. Here are the latest NBA rumors to chew on.

NBA Rumors: UConn big man Donovan Clingan has fans in Hawks' front office

The Atlanta Hawks were unexpectedly gifted the No. 1 pick after a deflating season that ended in the Play-In Tournament. This offseason is shrouded in uncertainty, with Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and Clint Capela all involved in trade rumors. Should Atlanta decide to rebuild, the No. 1 pick is a good starting point. If the Hawks merely retool, however, that could determine how the front office proceeds with the top overall selection.

In a more traditional draft class, there might be an obvious No. 1 prospect for the Hawks to select. Not in 2024, though. The upcoming rookie class is notoriously weak — or, to use a friendlier term, balanced. The Hawks have a bevy of viable options at No. 1, even if none are particularly great by the usual standards of the top pick.

If the goal is to build around Trae Young, it would behoove Atlanta to draft a defensive anchor and a dominant play-finisher. If Atlanta plans to start from scratch, however, a guard or wing with star-level creation upside is the way to go.

Right now, ESPN projects French 7-footer Alex Sarr to the Hawks. Another buzzy name in Atlanta circles is Zaccharie Risacher, a French wing who is in the middle of a dominant postseason stretch for JL Bourg-en-Bresse.

That said, UConn's Donovan Clingan wormed his way into the mix with a dominant NCAA Tournament run. The 7-foot-3 bruiser "has fans among the Hawks' constituency," per ESPN's Jonathan Givony. That is not a faint allusion to interest — the Hawks have members of the front office who firmly are onboard the Clingan train.

He doesn't offer the same offensive upside as your traditional top pick, but Clingan is a dominant rim protector who sets thundering screens, catches lobs, and inhales offensive rebounds. That is a helpful skill set for a Trae Young team, assuming the Hawks keep their diminutive point guard around.

NBA Rumors: Chris Paul connected to Clippers as potential free agent target

Chris Paul has $30 million in non-guaranteed salary for next season, which the Golden State Warriors are expected to waive unless a viable trade quickly materializes. The 39-year-old figures to be a popular name in free agency. Two well-linked suitors are the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, who would both benefit from CP3's basketball I.Q. and playmaking stability.

Now, a third team enters the fray. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Clippers "should be added to the list of teams" interested in the future Hall of Fame point guard. Paul spent six years with Los Angeles from 2011-17, forming the foundation of the infamous 'Lob City' squad next to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Paul's days of uncontested stardom are long gone. He's a bench guard now, best used in short spurts with a strong supporting cast in his orbit. Without the quickness to consistently create his own looks, CP3 instead relies on patience and precision to pick apart a defense. He can still make every pass in the book, blessed with a preternatural gift for reading the floor and locating open teammates.

Much has been made of the lack of traditional point guard play in Los Angeles over the years. James Harden mostly nullifies those concerns, but Paul is a serviceable second unit leader who can organize the offense with a steady hand. It doesn't hurt that he has experience playing next to Harden, so there's built-in chemistry stemming from the greatest offensive team of a generation.

The Clippers are also connected to Kyle Lowry. Los Angeles won't have much more than the veteran minimum to spend, especially if Paul George re-signs, so the front office is in the market for cheap reinforcements with postseason experience.

NBA Rumors: 76ers are 'threat' to sign LeBron James

When ESPN's Brian Windhorst speaks about LeBron James, one would be wise to listen. There isn't a more plugged-in reporter when it comes to the NBA's foremost superstar. From all the way back in the Cleveland days, Windhorst has chronicled the arc of LeBron's career and shared invaluable insight about the biggest American sports icon.

As James gears up for what is probably the final free agency period of his career, the Lakers are clearly in the driver's seat. LeBron has planted deep roots in L.A., from his kids' education to his myriad business interests. The Lakers, however, continue to fall short in the postseason. Despite rumors of a potential trade deadline swing, Los Angeles opted to forgo major roster upgrades this season and settled for a first-round defeat.

There isn't much time left for LeBron at this level. Even a singularly freaky athlete of his caliber will eventually run out of gas, or at least lose to will to keep playing. There will be teams who monitor James' availability — who yearn to pry him away from the City of Angels at the slightest sign of discontent.

No team is better positioned than the Philadelphia 76ers, who possess more than $60 million in cap space. The Sixers can sign James outright, without needing to work out a sign-and-trade. And, according to Windhorst on ESPN's Get Up, Philadelphia is a "threat" to add LeBron. He does, however, stop short of calling the Sixers a "serious threat."

He says the Lakers are "in a very strong position" to retain James, but also notes that Daryl Morey has been pursuing LeBron "for a decade now." If there is even the slightest hint of opportunity, Morey will pounce. The ability to play alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in a weaker Eastern Conference is surely appealing, especially since Philadelphia is a major market in its own right.

James probably isn't leaving the Lakers, but one can dream. The fact that Windhorst doesn't entirely shut down the idea of Philadelphia signing LeBron feels notable, at least insofar as the potential for James to engage with other teams is concerned. The Sixers were used as leverage against the Lakers once before. Why not do it again?